US3471977A - Particle remover - Google Patents

Description

E. M. ROTH Oct. 14, 1969 PARTICLE REMOVER Filed April '7. 1967 FIGS I f-J VEN 'IUR. ERIC M. ROTH Wail/1% United States Patent 3,471,977 PARTICLE REMOVER Eric M. Roth, 81 Clansrnan Blvd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed Apr. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 629,323 Int. Cl. B24d 11/06 US. Cl. 51-383 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The application describes a lint removing implement where a retaining body with an aperture folds about a crease line which if completed would pass through the aperture and provides a piece of abrasive surfaced material which when the body is folded is exposed through the aperture.

A flexible extension of said body is shaped and located in the folded position of the body to maintain said abrasive surfaced material exposed through said aperture for contacting surfaces to be brushed. Means are provided on the body for attaching the abrasive material thereto.

This invention relates to a device for removing unwanted particles from the surface of textile material, usually clothing.

The unwanted particles may include: lint, pills (being small balls of fibre or the like), dust and ash.

The invention generally provides a foldable body preferably of plastic, which, in its unfolded attitude, defines an aperture, and which is designed to be folded upon itself at locations in the aperture defining material on opposed sides of the said aperture. The folded body thus provides a slot, corresponding to the aperture, adjacent the fold locations in the closed position of the carton. A projection is provided attached to the said body on an inside surface, relative to the folded position, the projection being arranged and shaped to provide an edge projecting toward the outside of said slot in the folded position of said body. Means are provided for locating particle removing material retained in a position, folded about said edge, with an operative side of said material outwardly facing, projecting through said slot.

In a preferred form of the invention, the projection itself projects through the slot and the material folded thereabout, extends on both sides of said edge inwardly through said slot, for retention therein.

In drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the device in open position;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the device in closed position; and

FIGURE 3 is a view along the lines 33 of FIG- URE 2.

In drawings; a body of the sheet like material, preferably plastic, comprises a central portion 12 and two end portions 14. The two end portions 14 are each separated from the central portion by an aperture 16 each of which is defined by a central portion 12, and end portion 14 and a pair of opposed side aperture defining extents 18, which on each side of central portion 12, connect the central and end portions of the body. These extents 18, in respect to each aperture 12, represent the location where folding of the body is to take place, and the shape and thickness of extents 18 is designed with this in mind. In the preferred form of the invention, the body is integrally constructed of polypropylene which, when correctly dimensioned, is reversibly bendable an extremely large number of times; and in such preferred form, the extents 18 are dimensioned to be bendable about a line LL corresponding to each aperture 16 extending across the approximate centre of the adjacent defined aperture 16. The respective lines are preferably parallel and define a folding direction.

Although the bent portions of extents 18 must be considered as defining a bent extent rather than a fold line, the line LL joining the middles of opposed bent extents is considered as the fold line or fold direction and it is such line, extended to between the opposed extents 18, which extends approximately centrally across the aperture.

The central member 12 is ridged and ribbed for rigidity by the provision of edge members 20 perpendicular to the folding direction and projecting inwardly relative to the folded attitude of the body (see FIGURE 2); and by thickened areas, and ribs 22, extending parallel to the fold lines. The ribs 22 are each in the preferred form provided with a central groove 24, which is designed to face the end portions 14 in the folded attitude and running along the outward end of the defining walls of a groove, there is provided a small abutment 26, extending to narrow the groove mouth, for a purpose to be specified hereafter.

On the side of each aperture, running generally parallel to the folding direction, there are provided a line of sharpened, inwardly directed projections 28, for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The end portions 14 are each dimensioned, so that, in the folded position of the device, they will slide within the edge members 20.

Each edge member 14 is provided with a projecting member 30, flexibly attached to the edge member along a line 31, roughly parallel to the fold line and, in the unfolded attitude of the device, being generally inwardly directed toward the central member. The member 30 is provided with an edge 32 generally parallel to the fold direction which in the unfolded position of the device overlies the aperture 16 and in the folded position will mount particle removing material, folded about the edge 32 and projecting through the slot formed by the aperture, in the folded position of the device. In a preferred form of the invention, the member 30, is preferably dimensioned so that the edge 32 will project slightly outwardly through the slot formed by the aperture 16 in the folded attitude of the device beyond the convex outward portion of extents 18 in the folded position; and the member 30 is further dimensioned so that it will extend through the aperture 16 (becoming a slot in the folded attitude) between the slot-defining edges of extents 18.

In the end portions 14, on the side of each aperture 16, and running generally parallel to the folding direction, there are provided inwardly directed projections 34 which are designed in the folded position of the device, to approximately oppose the similar projections 28 through the projection 30. There is also provided outwardly of the projection 30, a rib 36 running generally parallel to the fold direction. The grooved ribs 22 in the central member, are respectively located so that they will, in the folded position, receive in the grooves 24, the rib 36 of the nearer end portions and the grooves are dimensioned to receive the portion ribs. The end portion ribs 36 are provided with a slight thickening 38 on one side thereof (when viewed in cross-section) and running along the rib 38 to snap under the abutment 26 in the rib grooves 24 and, when so actuated, to hold the end members 14 in folded position. For ornamental purposes, one of the end members 14 may, at its end remote from the fold line, provide a flange 40 which is positioned to overlie the meeting edge, in the folded position, of the two end members.

Swatches of particle removing material 44 and 42 is provided for folding over each of the edge 32. This may be found to be different for different types of particles and for different fabrics. In the preferred embodiment one of these materials 42 is preferably a nylon fabric with the uncut bights of relatively rigid uncut loops, such as that sold under the trademark Velchrome while the other material 44 is relatively open mesh covered with abrasive and covered with a lacquer to round off the abrasive edges. The material is of sufficient size, in one dimension, to extend in the folded position from over pointed abutments 28 about edge 32 and over the adjacent row of pointed abutments 34 and in the dimension perpendicular thereto, is preferably the length of the edge 32.

The device is assembled, at the end without overlying flange 40 by placing the device, in the unfolded position but with what will be the inside, in the folded position, facing upwardly. The material is placed with an operative side downwardly, with one side overlying projections 34, the material extending across the aperture with the other side overlying projection 28. The projection 30 thus overlies approximately half of the material.

The end portion 14 is then folded inwardly to seat the ribs 36 in rib grooves 24. As such folding is taking place, the material 44 is bent, by the approaching portions of the outer and central members, about edge 32. The ribs are affixed in position and the folded side held in place by snapping the abutments 38 on ribs 36, under the abutments 26 in rib groove 24, along the length thereof. With the folding and the afiixing, of the folded member in position, the material is held in placenear one end by the projections 28 bearing through the material on projection 30 and near the other end by the projections 34 bearing through the material on projection 30.

Material 42 is placed on, and the other end portion 14 folded into position in a similar manner with the overlying flange 40 masking the junction between the abutting edges.

There is thus provided an instrument which may be manually grasped, with the one or the other lint removing material areas held to contact and be rubbed on the fabric to be cleaned.

It will be realized that other means may be used within the broad scope of the invention, than the abutments 28 and 34 to hold the fabric in position, such as by gluing. It will be realized that other means may be used, within the broad scope of the invention, than the ribs 36 and rib groove 24 for retaining the device in closed position. However the methods shown are those presently preferred.

It will be realized that a device may be made within the scope of the invention, wherein only one particle removing material will be used and hence only one folding end portion 14 will be provided.

It will also be realized that if desired, in the embodiment shown, the projection 30 might be placed on the central member instead of the outer member, to project toward and over aperture in the unfolded position.

Further it will be noted that the co-operating rib and ribbed grooves need not be parallel to the fold direction but merely symmetrical with respect thereto and it will be realized that the pointed projections 28 or 34 need not be parallel to the fold direction.

It will be realized that the positions of the ribs and rib grooves may be interchanged about a fold line LL.

I claim:

1. A device for removing unwanted particles from fabric comprising, in combination:

a body member defining an aperture therethrough, said body being reversibly foldable upon itself from an open to closed position by a fold in the body material on opposed sides of said aperture;

a projection flexibly extending from said body located to be inside the closed position of said body di mension so that, in the closed position of said body, an edge on said projection projects into said aper ture;

said body, when in its folded condition, and said projection defining means for securing particle remov ing material folded over said edge said material being located in said aperture.

2. A device for removing unwanted particles from fabric, comprising, in combination a sheet like body of plastic material;

an aperture defined therein;

said body being designed and dimensioned to be reversibly folded upon itself by bending the body in locations on opposed sides of said aperture, the line joining said locations defining a fold direction;

a projection from said sheet on the side to be located inside said body in the folded position thereof;

said projection having an edge, extending along said aperture in the folded position of said body, said edge being adjacent said line;

said body, when in its folded condition, and said projection defining means for securing particle removing material folded over said edge said material being located in said aperture; and

means for retaining said body in the folded position.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said projection is attached to said body at a location transverse relative to said line, oriented in the open position, to lie adjacent to said body and dimensioned so that in the open position of said body, said edge overlies said aperture.

4. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein means are provided for placing in the unfolded position of said body, particle removing material between said projection and the side of said body to which it is attached and with said material extending out beyond said edge to overlie said aperture, and extend to the inside of the opposite side thereof from the side to which said projection is attached, and with an active part of said particle removing material facing the outside of said body in said folded position, whereby on the folding of said body, said partcle removing material, is folded about said projection with an active side of said particle removing material exposed outwardly at said aperture.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein means are provided on said body for clamping in the folded position of said body, said particle removing material in position on each side of said aperture.

6. A device for removing unwanted particles from fabric comprising:

a foldable plastic body, which in its unfolded attitude provides an aperture defined by edges, said body being designed to be folded upon itself at locations in the aperture defining material on opposed sides of the saidaperture, to provide a slot defined by the edges of said aperture;

a projection attached to said body on an inside surface, relative to the folded position, is arranged and shaped to provide an edge projecting towards the outside of said slot in the folded position of said body;

and means for locating particle removing material retained in a position, folded about said edge, with an operative part of said material outwardly facing, and projecting outwardly through said slot.

7. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein means are provided for placing in the unfolded position of said body, particle removing material between said projection and the side of said body to which it is attached and with said material extending out beyond said edge to overlie said aperture, and extend to the inside of the opposite side thereof from the side to which said projection is attached, and with an active part of said particle removing material facing the outside of said body in said folded position, whereby on the folding of said body, said particle removing material, is folded about said projection with an active side of said particle removing material exposed outwardly at said aperture.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein means are provided on said body for clamping in the folded posi tion of said body, said particle removing material in position on each side of said aperture.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 486,976 11/1892 Mayhew 51-383 3,330,077 7/1967 Kanbar et a1. 51205 FOREIGN PATENTS 510,553 8/1939 Great Britain.

5 OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 15-105

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